Apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials



Oct. 13, 1959 M. CORNELL 2,908,346

APPARATUS FOR HOMOGENIZING AND DEGASIFYING FLOWABLE MATERIALS FiledMarch 13, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l6 1 8 l4 l7 3 4 49 I5 I2 33 29 2 25 26m 3| 34 25 2l-2 35 3O 27 3 I9 32 v33 24 22 2O 47 45 2 L r l INVENTOR.

MEAD CORNELL F ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1959 M. CORNELL 2,903,346

APPARATUS FOR HOMOGENIZING AND DEGASIFYING FLOWABLE MATERIALS FiledMarch 13. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I |8 I? J l 1 l 4 Ii ..l"

F Z INVENTOR. BYIVIEAD CORNELL ATTORNEYS United States Patent OfiiceAPPARATUS FOR HOMOGENIZING AND DEGASIFYING FLOWABLE MATERIALS MeadCornell, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Griffin,

Cornell Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Manymaterials such as lubricants, paints, flowable plastics, foods and greatvarieties of other compositions need to be physically refined in orderto attain the highest degree of efiicacy.

Many organic compounds are subject to spoilage or deterioration byoxidation or the action of aerobic agents. There are, of course, manyprocesses in which aeration is advantageous, but there are also manyprocesses in which the elimination of air and/ or other gases or vaporsis quite as important, and in which it is impracticable to employ heatto drive out the deleterious gaseous or vaporous contaminants.

. The superiority of suspensions of fine solid particles in liquids andof colloidal suspensions usually depends to a considerable extent uponthe fineness and uniformity of distribution of the fine solid orcolloidal'particles; the finer and more uniformly distributed theparticles of pig ment in a paint, for example, the better its coveringcharacteristics and the longer it will keep in storage without settlingout.

Keeping qualities, utility in the culinary arts, and flavor andhealthful qualities of foodstuffs often also are enhanced by thoroughhomogenization and degasification.

The need for homogenization and degasification in the preparation ofliquid and pasty components of oils and greases is well known.

My application for United States patent Serial No. 660,266 discloses amachine for degasifying, blending, milling and homogenizing materialshaving liquid or pasty components. Themethod and apparatus disclosed inthe instant application enables materials, such as oils and greases,that are handled in large volume to be processed more rapidly inapparatus which is relatively sturdy and compact and which can bemanufactured and operated with great economy.

It is an object of this invention to provide homogenizing anddegasifying apparatus in which materials are supplied to rapidlyrotating processing units that are fixed to rotating shafts, suchmaterials being supplied through conduits which themselves arestationary.

A further object is to provide conduits whose mountings are so designedas to facilitate removal and replacement of sections thereof which areadjacent to processing units.

It is a further object to provide apparatus having evacuating conduitswhich are stationary and which are readily removable and replaceable.

It is a further object to provide apparatus having a single shaft, saidapparatus being so designed that a plurality of homogenizing anddegasifying units can be mounted upon said single shaft, and being sodesigned that the number of units so mounted can be readily increased ordecreased.

Other objects and many advantages of the invention will be apparent uponperusal of the following specificawhich:

2,908,346 -Patented Oct. 13, 1959 2 Fig. I is a sectional view takensubstantially along a vertical plane through the apparatus;

Fig. I1 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a homogenizing anddegasifying unit;

Fig. III is a plan view on a further enlarged scale of an impeller whichis an element of the apparatus; and

Fig. IV is an elevational view of the impeller. Materials to behomogenized and/or degasified are processed in a chamber 1 which has acylindrical wall ,2, and the size and wall thickness of which may varywith the type of material to be treated and with the rate at which thematerialis to be processed. A chamber 36 inches in diameter and 60inches high having a wall thickness of 7 inch has been found to operatesatisfacton'ly in processing some materials. The lower end of thechamber 1 is closed by a dishshaped bottom 3 which may be welded inplace. The upper end of the chamber is closed by a flat cover 4 which isremovably bolted in place. Since the interior of the chamber 1 ispartially evacuated when the apparatus is functioning, the bottom 3 ismade convex outwardly to better withstand the excess ofouter'atmospheric pressure over the reduced interior pressure. I Thechamber 1 is supported by four legs 5 which are fitted into sockets feet9 which maybe fastened to a floor or base plate 10.

The chamber 1 may be properly plumbed by screwing the lower ends of thelegs 5 into or out of the bosses 7, whereupon the legs 5 may be lockedagainst accidental turning by means of set screws 11 threaded into thesockets 6.

Fitted through a central opening in the cover 4 is a bearing holder 12having a flange .13 which overlies the cover 4. Mounted within thebearing holder 12, below a spacer ring 14, is the outer race of a doublerow ball bearing 15 which is capable of supporting an axialload orthrust.

The inner race of the double row ball bearing 15 is fixed to a rotatablevertical shaft 16, which preferably is turned by an electric motoracting through variable speed mechanism, such, for example, as a V-beltdrive, to turn the vertical shaft 16 at an appropriate speed, e.g. 1,000to 1,500 rpm. Since suitable motors and drive mechanisms arecommercially available they are not described in detail herein orillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The upper and lower ends of the bearing holder 12 are provided 'with oilseals 17 and 17a which surround the shaft 16 and serve to retainlubricant with whichthe bearing holder'12 is adapted to be packed. Acover plate 18 closes the upper end of the bearing holder 12 andsurrounds the shaft '16, the cover plate 18 and bearing holder 12 beingsecured to the main cover 4 by means of cap screws. Keyed to the shaft16 at definite heights within'the chamber 1 are hubs 19, which afterbeing located as to height are fastened to the shaft 16 by set screws20. Each of the hubs 19 has a flange to which is secured a circulardispersing rotor 21, having a flat central portion and an outer portionthatis frusto-conical in shape. overlying the flat central'portion ofthe dispersing rotor 21 and fixed thereto is an annulus 22, the edge ofwhich is beveled to fit the frusto-conical outer portion of thedispersing rotor without leaving a shoulder around the edge of theannulus Also mounted upon thehub'19, parallel to the flat portion of thedispersing rotor2 1, is a but;- tering ring' 23. The butteri'ngring23ihas a sharp edge around its periphery which lies inoptimumproximity-to the surface of thefrusto-conical'portion of thedispersing rotor 21. The optimum proximity may vary with the viscosityand other characteristics of the material to be creeping over the edgeas some materials would be liable to do if the edge were rounded orblunt.

Surrounding the periphery of each dispersing rotor 21 and overlappingsomewhat the peripheral edge of the dispersing rotor is a stationarydeflecting ring 24, which is smoothly curved as indicated in Fig. I withits uper margin turned nearly horizontally inward, to catch materialthrown centrifugally outward from the periphery of the dispersing rotor,and with its lower margin nearly vertical to direct the materialdownward. The deflecting rings 24 are hung by stiff metal straps 25which are secured at their upper ends to the cover 4.

Material to be homogenized and/or degasified is fed through pipes 26which extend over the deflector rings 24 from fittings 27 welded intoopenings in one side of the chamber 1. Each pipe 26 is provided with aflange 28 which is'bolted between an inlet pipe flange 29 and a flange30 on the fitting 27.

The inner end of each pipe 26 enters a radial tapered hole in a bossformed on a collar 31 (which may be of cast bronze or other metal) thatloosely surrounds the shaft 16 and a hub 19 but does not turn with theshaft and hub. The lower end of each collar 31 extends into the centralopening of a buttering ring 23, so that material to be processed followsthrough the pipe 26' into the collar 31, and from the lower end of thecollar to the center of the dispersing rotor assembly.

Fittings 32 similar to the fittings 27 are welded into openings on theopposite side of the chamber 1. Bolted between each fitting 32 and anoutlet pipe flange 33 is a flange on the outer end of a pipe 34, theinner end of which extends into a radial opening in a second boss formedon one of the collars 31-. Each collar 31 thus is supported by the pipes26 and 34, which extend radially inward from opposite sides of thecylindrical chamber 1. Each collar 31 is supported with sufiicientfirmness by one pipe 26 and one pipe 34, but the machine may beconstructed with three or more pipes 26 and 34 supporting each collar31.

Each pipe 34 is employed to evacuate gases from the chamber '1. Theinner end of each pipe 34 that extends into a boss on a collar 31 isplugged, and a plurality of perforations 35 are located along each pipe34. One of the pipes 34 is located above each of the deflecting rings24, and an additional pipe 34 may be located below the lowermostdeflecting ring 24.

The shaft 16 extends through a central opening in the bottom 3 of thechamber 1, where it is journaled in a guide bearing 36 mounted upon astructure 37 having ports through which treated material may fiow into adischarge pipe 38.

The extreme lower end of the shaft 16 is reduced in size and hasdetachably fixed thereon an impeller 39 having helical blades 40 whichmove homogenized and degasified material into the discharge pipe 38,whence it is pumped by a variable flow pump 41, the capacity of which issubstantially less than the pumping capacity of .the impeller 39 but canbe adjusted manually by turning a hand wheel 42. Leading upward from thedischarge pipe 38 is a branch pipe 43 for returning a stream of thematerial to the chamber 1. The'branch pipe 43 passes through the bottom3 ofthe chamber 1 and is equipped with a manually adjustable valve 44that can be set to maintain in the discharge pipe 38 a pressure higher(e.g. by 15' inches of mercury) than that in the chamber 1, so as toincrease the efliciency of. the pump 41. f v.

When the apparatus is in operation and the impeller is pumping treatedmaterial downward, an upward thrust is exerted upon the shaft 16. Thisupward thrust tends to counterbalance the weight of the dispersingrotors and other parts carried by the shaft 16, thus relieving the ballbearing of much of the axial load to which it other wise would besubjected.

Tapped into the wall 2 of the chamber 1 are level controls '45 and 46for maintaining the volume of liquid in the chamber 1 between a certainminimum and a certain maximum. These level controls may be of anydesired type but are shown schematically as floats actuating microswitches 47 and 48 and arranged one above the other. The micro switches47 and 48 may transmit signals to an attendant, in response to which hecan increase or decrease the rate of discharge through the pump 41 orthe rate at which material is supplied through the'pipes 26 or, insteadof merely transmitting signals to an attendant, they may actuatecontrols which automatically adjust the pump 41 or the rate at whichmaterial is'supplied.

Ingress of air into the chamber '1 is prevented by a gasket or seal suchas a rubber O-ring 49 that is clamped between the cover 4 and a flangeS0 at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 2.

In the operation of the device, air is first withdrawn through the pipes34 until the vacuum inside the chamber 1 has reached approximately 28inches of mercury. Then with the shaft 16 and the parts fixed theretorotating at a speed of about 1200 r.p.m., a flowable material such asoil or grease is admitted to the pipes 26 and is fed through each collar31 to the space between the annulus 22 and the hutterlng ring 23. Sincethe annulus and 'buttering ring are rotating at high speed, a'thin layerof the material emerges through the gap between the sharp edge of thebuttering ring and the conical inner surface of the dispersing rotor 21and is pressed by centrifugal force against the conical inner surface ofthe rotor. Such bubbles as the material may contain are flattened andruptured by the centrifugal pressing and by the distortion that theyundergo as the thin layer stretches over more and more area during itsexpanding outward movement. Even bubbles of microscopic size are thusdestroyed as the layer is converted into a film, and as the filmstretches under the vacuum prevailing within the chamber, absorbed gasesare largely eliminated.

The same forces that destroy the bubbles also flatten and disperse anysoft lumps that may have passed through the gap between the conicalinner surface of the dispersing rotor and the sharp edge of thebuttering ring.

The film of material being processed is flung centrifugally from theperipheral edge of the dispersing rotor through the narrow gap betweenthe rotor and the concavely curved inner surface of the deflecting ring24. The deflecting ring is stationary and deflects the material downwardin a cylindrical curtain that runs into an accumulation of processedmaterial in the lower part of the chamber 1. A partial vacuum ismaintained on both sides of the curtain by evacuation of air through thepipes 34, which take air and other gases from outside and from inside ofthe curtain.

The lowermost of the pipes 34 takes gases which emanate from thedescending cylindrical curtain and from the accumulation in the lowerend of the chamber. Since gases from inside the curtain are removedwithout being drawn through the curtain, none of the liquid material isentrained with the gases. The lowermost pipe 34 is located at asubstantial distance above the level that the accumulation of materialis permitted to reach.

Since the impeller 39 as described above forces the material into thedischarge pipe 38, the pump 41 in this device is not required to workagainst the vacuum prevailing in the chamber 1, and the necessity ofinstalling the chamber 1 at an elevated location is obviated.

The pump 41 need not be started for withdrawing r I) processed materialfrom the accumulation in the lower part'of'the chamber until the levelof the accumulated liquid actuates the lowermost level control.Thereupon the pump 41. is set to withdraw processed material at a ratethat is'equal to the rate at which material to be processed is suppliedthrough the pipes 26.

Should the quantity of processed material in the lower part of thechamber 1 diminish to a point where the lowermost level control 46 isactuated, the pump 41 is stopped, preferably automatically. Thus thechamber 1 is prevented fromemptying. Because of the rotation of theshaft 16, which passes through the accumulation of processed material inthe lower part' of the chamber 1, and because the material that is addedto the accumulation strikes the surface of the accumulation from adirection that is slightly out of vertical, the liquid in the lower partof the chamber 1 tends to rotate as a body in the direction in which theshaft 16 rotates. The rotation of the accumulation ofprocessed'material, which may be of the order of 60 r.p.m., tends toform a vortex so as to uncover the ports in the structure 37', In orderto provide a counterforce to prevent the material from rotating at aspeed sulficient to form a vortex, the branch pipe 4 3 is locatedadjacent the wall 2 of the chamber 1, and the upper end of the branchpipe 43 is bent to discharge material in a direction opposed to thedirection in which the material inthe chamber 1 tends to rotate.

It will be observed that the shaft 16 and all of the elementsdriven bythe shaft 16 are fixed together and spin as a unit, there being nogearing between the shaft and the parts turned thereby. Hence theapparatus for homogenizing' and degasifying operates with minimum powerconsumption and with little or no noise.

The capacity of the apparatus is high and can be multiplied, whendesired, by the addition of identical units each consisting of two pipes26 and 34 and a dispersing assembly.

The size of the apparatus, the speed at which the shaft 16 is turned andthe rate at which material is supplied, as well as the number of unitsmounted on the shaft, can be varied to adapt the machine to theconditions under which it is to be operated as well as to the outputdesired. v

A machine such as illustrated, having a chamber 36 inches in diameterand 60 inches in height with a 2.125 inch shaft turning at a speed of1200 rpm. and carrying two homogenizing and degasifying units, will havea capacity of about 175 to 300 gallons per minute when operating uponoil of various viscosities, the lighter the oil the greater thecapacity.

' The embodiments of the invention hereinabove described and illustratedby the accompanying drawings are tobe regarded as exemplary only and theinvention is to be-regarded as encompassing all modifications andvariations within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims. v

Havingdescribed the invention, I claim:

' 1. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable-materials,'a chamber having a side wall, a bottom and a cover removably secured tosaid side wall; means for withdrawing material from the bottom of thechamber; saidcoverhaving a central opening; a rotatable substantiallyvertical shaft projecting through said opening; a dispersing rotor fixedupon said shaft, said dispersing rotor having 'a concave frusto-conicalupper sur face; a buttering ring having a peripheral edge spacedslightly from said concave frusto-conical upper surface; a stationaryinlet pipe leading from without said chamber; a non-rotating deflectingring surrounding said dispersing rotor, said deflecting ring beingsmoothly curved with its upper margin being turned nearly horizontallyinward and its lower margin turned nearly vertically downward, saiddeflecting ring being located below said inlet pipe; an evacuating pipeleading out of said chamber from space abovev said dispersing rotor andsaid deflecting ring, said evacuating pipe having its inner end closedand having a series of perforations along its side; and anotherevacuating pipelying beneath said dispersing rotor and said deflectingring; whereby gases and vapors extracted from the material are withdrawnfrom opposite sides of the film of material flowing from the dispersingrotor.

2. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, achamber having a side wall, a bottom and a cover removably secured tosaid side wall; means for withdrawing material from the bottom of thechamber; said cover having a central opening; a rotatable substantiallyvertical shaft projecting through said opening; a dispersing rotor fixedupon said shaft, said dispersing rotor having aconcave frusto-conicalupper surface, a buttering ring havin g a peripheral edge spacedslightly from said concave frusto-conical upper surface; a stationaryinlet pipe leading from without said chamber to'the space between saidring and rotorsurface; a non-rotating deflecting ring surrounding saiddispersing rotor, said deflecting ring being smoothly curved with itsupper margin being turned nearly horizontally inward and its lowermargin turned nearly vertically downward, said deflecting ring beinglocated below said inlet pipe; an evacuating pipe leading out of saidchamber from space above said dispersing rotor and said deflecting ring,said evacuating pipe having its inner end closed and having a series ofperforations along its lower side but in other respects being similar toand mounted similarly to said inlet pipe; and another evacuating pipelying beneath said dispersing rotor and said deflecting ring and beingsimilar to the evacuating pipe first mentioned; whereby gas and vaporare extracted from opposite sides of the film of material flowing fromthe dispersing rotor.

3. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, achamber having a side wall, an outwardly convex bottom and a coverremovably secured to a flange surrounding said side wall; means forwithdrawing material'from the bottom of the chamber; said cover having acentral opening; a'rotatable substantially vertical shaft projectingthrough said opening; a dispersing rotor'fixed for axial adjustment uponsaid shaft, said dispersing rotor having a concave frusto-conical uppersurface, a buttering ring having a peripheral'edge spaced slightly fromsaid concave frusto-conical upper surface; a stationary inlet pipeleading from without said chamber to the space between the ring and saidsurface; a non-rotating deflecting ring surrounding said (dispersingrotor, said deflecting ring being smoothly curved with its upper marginbeing turned nearly horizontally inward and its lower margin turnednearly vertically downward, said deflecting ring being hung by stiffmetal straps from said cover, said deflecting ring being located belowsaid inlet pipe; a perforated evacuating pipe leading out of saidchamber from space above said dispersing rotor and said deflecting ring;and another evacuating pipe positioned beneath said dispersing rotor andsaid deflecting ring; whereby gas and vapor is evacuated from both sidesof the film of material flowing from the dispersing rotor. 4. Inapparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, a chamberhaving a cylindrical side wall, a bottom and a cover removably securedto the upper margin of said cylindrical side wall; means for withdrawingmaterial from the bottom of the chamber; said cover having a centralopening; a solid rotatable substantially vertical shaft projectingthrough said opening; a dispersing rotor assembly fixed upon said shaft,said dispersing rotor assembly comprising a hub, a dispersing rotorhaving a concave frusto-conical upper surface fixed to said hub, abuttering ring also fixed to said hub. and having a peripheral edgespaced slightly from said concave f-rusto-conical upper surface; anon-rotating collar surrounding said shaft and having its lower marginextending through said buttering ring; an inlet pipe rotor, saiddeflecting ring being smoothly curved with its upper margin being turnednearly horizontally inward and its lower margin turned nearly verticallydownward, said deflecting ring being located below said inlet pipe; anevacuating pipe leading out of said chamber from space above saiddispersing rotor and said deflecting ring, said evacuating pipe havingits inner end closed and in supporting relationship to said collar andhaving a series of perforations along its side; and another evacuatingpipe lying beneath said dispersing rotor and said deflecting ring;whereby gases and vapors from the material are extracted from oppositesides of the film of material flowing from the dispersing rotor.

5. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, achamber having a cylindrical side Wall, an outwardly convex bottom and acover removably secured to a flange surrounding the upper margin of'said cylindrical side wall; means for withdrawing material lfrom thechamber; said cover having a central opening; a solid rotatablesubstantially vertical shaft projecting through said opening; adispersing rotor assembly fixed for axial adjustment upon said shaft,said dispersing rotor assembly comprising a hub, a dispersing rotorhaving a concave frusto-conical upper surface fixed to said hub, abuttering ring also fixed to said hub and haying a peripheral edgespaced slightly from said concave frusto-conical upper surface; anon-rotating collar surrounding said shaft and having its lower marginextending through said buttering ring; an inlet pipe leading fromwithout said chamber into said collar; a non-rotating deflecting ringsurrounding said dispersing rotor, said deflecting ring being smoothlycurved with its upper margin being turned nearly horizontally inward andits lower margin turned nearly vertically downward, said deflecting ringbeing hung by stifl metal straps from said cover, said deflecting ringbeing located below said inlet pipe; a perforated evacuating pipeleading out of said chamber from space above said dispersing rotor andsaid deflecting ring, said evacuating pipe having its inner end closedand in supporting relationship to said collar; and another perforatedevacuating pipe lying beneath-said dispersing rotor and said deflectingring; 'whereby gases and vapors are evacuated from both sides of thefilm of material flowing from the dispersing rotor. 6. In apparatus forhomogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, a chamber having a sidewall,-an outwardly convex bottom and a cover removably secured to aflange surrounding said side wall; means for withdrawing material fromthe chamber; said cover having a central opening; a rotatablesubstantially vertical shaft projecting through said opening; adispersing rotor fixed for axial adjustment upon said shaft, saiddispersing rotor having a concave frusto-conical upper surface, abuttering ring having a peripheral edge spaced slightly from saidconcave frusto-conical upper surface; a stationary inlet pipe leadingfrom without said chamber to the space between said ring and surface; anon-rotating deflecting ring surrounding said dispersing rotor, saiddeflecting ring being smoothly curved with its upper margin being turnednearly horizontally inward and its lower margin turned nearly verticallydownward, said deflecting ring being hung by stiff metal straps fromsaid cover, said deflecting ring being located below said inlet pipe; aperforated evacuating pipe leading out of said chamber from space abovesaid dispersing rotor and said deflecting ring, but in other respectsbeing similar to and mounted similarly to said inlet pipe; and anotherevacuating pipe located beneath said dispersing rotor and saiddeflecting ring and being similar to the evacuating pipe firstmentioned, whereby gas and vapor are evacuated from opposite sides ofthe film of material flowing from the dispersing rotor.

7. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, achamber having a cylindrical sidewall, a bottom and a cover removablysecured to the upper margin of said cylindrical side wall; means forwithdrawing material from said chamber; said cover having a centralopening containing a bearing holder and a bearing capable of takingaxial thrust; a solid rotatable substantially vertical shaft journaled,by means of said bearing, in said bearing holder; a dispersing rotorassembly fixed upon said shaft, said dispersing rotorassernblycomprising a hub, a dispersing rotor having a concave frustoconicalupper surface fixed to said hub, a buttering ring also fixed to said huband having a peripheral edge spaced slightly from said concavefrusto-conical upper surface; a non-rotating collar surrounding saidshaft and having its lower margin extending through said buttering ring;an inlet pipe leading from Without said chamber into said collar; anon-rotating deflecting ring surrounding said dispersing rotor, saiddeflecting ring being smoothly curved with its upper margin being turnednearly horizontally inward and its lower margin turned nearly verticallydownward, said deflecting ring being located below said inlet pipe; aperforated evacuating pipe leading out of said chamber from space abovesaid dispersing rotor and said deflecting ring for evacuating suchspace, said evacuating pipe having its inner end closed and insupporting relationship to said collar; and another perforatedevacuating pipe lying beneath said dispersing rotor and said deflectingring for evacuating the space beneath the rotor and the film of materialflowing from the rotor.

8. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, achamber having a cylindrical side wall, an outwardly convex bottom and acover removably secured to a flange surrounding the upper margin ofsaidcylindrical side wall; means for withdrawing material from the bottom ofthe chamber; said cover having a central opening; a solid rotatablesubstantially vertical shaft projecting through said opening; adispersing rotor assembly fixed for axial adjustment upon said shaft,said dispersing rotor assembly comprising a hub, a dispersing rotorhaving a concave frusto-conical upper surface fixed to said hub, abuttering ring also fixed to said hub and having a peripheral edgespaced slightly from said concave frusto-conieal upper surface; anon-rotating collar surrounding said shaft and having its lower marginextending through said buttering ring; aninlet pipe leading from withoutsaid chamber into said collar; a non-rotating deflecting ringsurrounding said dispersing rotor,,said deflecting ring being smoothlycurved with its upper margin being turned nearly horizontally inward andits lower margin turned nearly vertically downward, said deflecting ringbeing hung by stiff metal straps from said .cover, said deflecting ringbeing'located below said inlet pipe; a perforated evacuating pipeleading out of said chamber from space above said dispersing rotor andsaid deflecting ring, said evacuating pipe :having its inner end closedand in supporting relationship to said collar; and another perforatedevacuating pipe lying beneath saiddispersing rotor and said deflectingring and being similar to the evacuating pipe first mentioned forevacuating the space beneath the'rotor independently of .the space abovethe rotor.

9. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifyingflowable materials, achamber having a cylindrical side wall, an outwardly convex bottom and acover removably secured to a flangersurroundi'ng the upper margin ofsaid cylindrical side wall; said cover having a central opening; a solidrotatable substantially vertical shaft projecting through said opening;a dispersing rotor assembly fixed for axial adjustment upon saidshaftysaiddisp ersing rotor assembly comprising a hub, a dispersingrotor having a concave frusto-conical' upper surface .fixed to said hub,a buttering ring alsofixed to said hub and having a peripheral edgespaced slightly from said COD! cave frusto-conical upper surface; anon-rotating collar surrounding said shaft and having its lowermarginex:

tending through said buttering ring; an inlet pipe leading from withoutsaid chamber into said collar; a non-rotating deflecting ringsurrounding sad dispersing rotor, said deflecting ring being smoothlycurved with its upper margin being turned nearly horizontally inward andits lower margin turned nearly vertically downward, said deflecting ringbeing hung by stitf metal straps from said cover, said deflecting ringbeing located below said inlet pipe; a perforated evacuating pipeleading out of said chamber from space above said dispersing rotor andsaid deflecting ring, said evacuating pipe having its inner end closedand in supporting relationship to said collar; and another perforatedevacuating pipe lying beneath said dispersing rotor and said deflectingring for evacuating the space beneath the rotor; a guide bearing andguide bearing supporting structure fitted within an opening in the bottom of said chamber, said guide bearing surrounding said shaft adjacentthe lower end of said shaft, a discharge pipe leading from said supportstructure, an impeller fixed to the lower end of said shaft andirnpelling processed material from said chamber into said dischargepipe, a pump for withdrawing processed material from said dischargepipe, a branch pipe leading from such discharge pipe and dischargingtangentially into said chamber, a valve in said branch pipe; andcontrols responsive to the amount of such material in said chamber forcontrolling the rate of withdrawal by said pump.

10. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, achamber having a cylindrical side wall, a bottom and a cover removablysecured to the upper margin of said cylindrical side wall; said coverhaving a central opening; a solid rotatable substantially vertical shaftprojecting through said opening; a dispersing rotor assembly fixed uponsaid shaft, said dispersing rotor assembly comprising a hub, adispersing rotor having a concave frusto-conical upper surface fixed tosaid hub, a buttering ring also fixed to said hub and having aperipheral edge spaced slightly from said concave frusto-conical uppersurface; a non-rotating collar surrounding said shaft and having itslower margin extending through said buttering ring; an inlet pipeleading from without said chamber into said collar; a non-rotatingdeflecting ring surrounding said dispersing rotor, said deflecting ringbeing smoothly curved with its upper margin being turned nearlyhorizontally inward and its lower margin turned nearly verticallydownward, said deflecting ring being located below said inlet pipe; aperforated evacuating pipe leading out of said chamber from space abovesad dispersing rotor and said deflecting-ring, said evacuating pipehaving its inner end closed and in supporting relationship to saidcollar; another perforated evacuating pipe lying beneath said dispersingrotor and said deflecting ring for evacuating the space beneath therotor; a guide bearing and guide bearing support structure fitted withinan opening in the bottom of said chamber, said guide bearing surroundingsaid shaft adjacent the lower end of said shaft; a discharge pipeleading from said support structure; an impeller fixed to the lower endof said shaft for irnpelling processed material from said chamber intosaid discharge pipe, a pump for withdrawing processed material from saiddischarge pipe, a branch pipe leading from said discharge anddischarging tangentially into said chamber; a valve in said branch pipe;and controls responsive to the amount of material in said chamber andcontrolling the rate of withdrawal through said pump, whereby the amountof material collected in said chamber is maintained betweenpredetermined upper and lower limits.

11. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifyingflowable materials, incombination, a vertically positioned cylindrical chamber, a rotatableshaft mounted coaxially 0f the chamber, at least one frusto-conicaldispersing rotor mounted on the shaft, means for feeding material ontosaid rotor, a stationary deflecting ring mounted in the chamber todirect material thrown from the dispersing rotor downwardly into thelower portion of the chamber, perforated evacuating tubes located in thespaces above and below the rotor, a discharge pipe leading coaxiallyfrom the bottom of the cyindrical chamber, an impeller mounted on an endof the shaft extending into the discharge pipe, and a branch pipeconnected to the discharge pipe and discharging tangentially into thelower portion of the chamber, whereby material driven by said impellerthrough said discharge and branch pipes opposes a rotary motion of thematerial induced by the rotation of the dispersing rotor and shaft.

12. In apparatus for homogenizing and degasifying flowable materials, incombination, a vertically positioned cylindrical chamber, a rotatableshaft extending axially through the chamber, at least one frusto-conicaldispersing rotor mounted on the shaft, an inlet pipe extending radiallyinto the chamber, a perforated evacuating tube extending generallyradially into the chamber at substautially the same elevation as theinlet pipe, a collar that surrounds the rotary shaft and that issupported on said inlet pipe and evacuating tube, said collar serving todirect material from the inlet pipe onto the dispersing rotor, means foraxially directing material discharged radially from the dispersingrotor, a discharge pipe leading axially from the bottom of the chamber,an impeller mounted on the lower end of the rotatable shaft and locatedin the entrance to the discharge pipe for raising the pressure of thematerial in the discharge pipe over the pressure in the chamber, adischarge pump for withdrawing material from the discharge pipe, and abranch pipe leading from the discharge pipe and discharging tangentiallyinto the lower portion of the chamber in a direction counter to therotation of the dispersing rotor and material discharged therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,042,880 Cornell June 2, 1936 2,273,835 Cornell Feb. 22, 1942 2,324,824Cornell July 20, 1943

